


Music Of The Sense

by Lillian_Williams



Series: Same Time Next Week [2]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Anal, Anal Fingering, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Porn, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorder, Ballroom Dancing, Bathing/Washing, Blindfolds, Bottom Will, Bottom Will Graham, Boys Kissing, Breathplay, Bubble Bath, Cannibalism, Caring Hannibal Lecter, Classical Music, Comfort/Angst, Dancing, Dreams and Nightmares, Flogging, Flowers, Food, Hannibal Lecter Has Feelings, Hannibal Lecter Has a Crush, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter in Love, Hannibal Lecter is a Cannibal, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Not Ashamed, Intrusive Thoughts, Japanese Rope Bondage, Kissing, M/M, Massage, Nightmares, Oral Sex, Paddling, Poetry, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rope Bondage, Sassy Will Graham, Sensation Play, Sensory Deprivation, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Therapy, Tickling, Top Hannibal Lecter, Violet Wand, Wax Play, What Have I Done, Will Graham Angst, Will Graham Has Nightmares, Will Graham Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Will Graham Has a Nice Day, Will Graham Knows, Wine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-25 05:16:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14371698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lillian_Williams/pseuds/Lillian_Williams
Summary: Will and Hannibal explore sensory deprivation and reintroduction as a form of therapy.a fic based around the 5 senses





	1. Blood and Emptiness

**Author's Note:**

> if something is out of place i apologize i tried to use grammerly and it stalled my page and in waiting for the page to work (i didn't want to exit and loose the work i had done on my draft) it posted the last chapter so i went screw it and posted the whole thing so ill be going back over to buff out the rough spots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wills mental illness is acting up  
> he goes to his regularly scheduled appointment with Dr. H  
> the appointment is normal. the follow up is not <3  
> mostly Wills subconscious and Dr. - patient banter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you're here for smut skip to chapter 6

"This man chose his profession with the deliberate intent of using his work place as a hunting ground." Will said. clicking the projector remote wrapped in his palm. "This was his design." he added, the slid flicking from one glass-eyed corpse to another. "Show me yours." Will clicked off the projector setting the remote on his desk. "Thank you for your attentiveness. Mid-terms are next week. Be sure to turn in your study guide on the way out for extra credit. Have a nice day." Will said all in one breath turning his back to the approaching mass of exiting student. As the acolytes filtered out Will refreshed his coffee, rolled his sleeves up and set to work on the tedious evil of grading classwork. As the time ticked passed Will slouched in his stiff office chair, eyes halfheartedly scanning for wrong answers on yet another in a mountain of exams. He heaved a sigh; pulling his glasses from his faces he rubbed his eyes, holding his head in his hand. inhale 1 2 3 4 exhale 1 2 3 4

Will gazed up at the bleak blank class room walls and watched as red wine began to trickle down the walls. Once the surface was tinted with tannins and the wine began to soak into the carpet it was replaced by blood  that ran down the walls like amber down a tree. It dripped from the ceiling onto the table and it soaked into his hair. It ran the ink on the stack of tests coloring the blood with veins of black. The ink congealed and from the copper drenched floor rose a stag made of pitch and smoke. Will watched with a fixed gaze as the elks throat was torn open by a Macbethian knife -invisible but none the less lethal- water poured from the wound like a reservoir through a broken damn. The space flooded with salt water. Whether it was a room full of ocean or tears he couldn't tell. Somewhere back on earth a coffee mug crashed to the ground. Will gasped for air as the class room doors burst open draining the water from the room. His lungs heaved for air, body racked with coughs that sent him from his chair down to the floor. From his prostrate location Will watched as a silk tie slithered across the floor like a paisley python, coiling it self around the deers' back legs. Hooked to a non-corporeal pulley the tie lifted the water blooded stag to dangle from the ceiling. Wills stomach instinctually clenched as he watched Hannibal in Hobess' clothing gut the elk, its amorphous, ectoplasmic guts spilling on to the floor. Wills body twitched to clutch at the open wound that had long since healed. Grahams' forehead met with the desk in front of him startling him from a sleep he didn't realize he had fallen into.  
'Oww...what time was it? 5:30...whats today?...Thursday...' Will had somewhere to be. reaching Dr. Lecters office minutes before his appointment he stood in the waiting room still drenched in his own sweat hair sticking to his forehead. Dr. Lecter opened the door at the stroke of 6 like a man who moved on rails.  
"Hello Will, please come in." He said. Pretending not to notice the Will persperous appearance. "Would you like anything before we start?"

"No, thank you." Will replied wandering over to the staircase.

"Do you mind if drink."

"its your office."

"Yes, but it's your time."

"at your leisure Dr. Lecter." Hannibal nodded his reply. With the doctors back turned Will climbed the stairs to the mezzanine library.   
"how are you feeling this week?" Asked Dr. Lecter, turning to where he had last seen Will only to find the space empty and his patient ascended. Will gave a non committal shrug pacing the length of the loft, hands buried in his pockets.

"I haven't had any black outs." Will replied with a finite smile.  
"That's good." Hannibal replied. sipping from his seemingly omnipresent glass of red wine. Eyes never leaving his pacing patient.   
"But I still feel like I'm losing time... spacing out, ending up on auto pilot. My body is here but I'm not here in my body."  
"You are not losing consciousness but you are still disassociating." Hannibal said easing into his chair.  
"I don't know what to do. I can usually keep it reigned in at work but as soon as class is dismissed its like my mind walks right out the door...meanwhile I'm still-"  
"Sitting in a chair staring into the darkness." Wills eyes flicked down to Dr. Lecters. hand coming to rest on the nearby railing "Are you still having nightmares?"  
"Yes." Will replied defeat and terror heavy in his voice.  
"What about hallucinations?" Will cast his eyes downward giving a twitching nod. "Do you not like that word...Hallucinations?"  
"It makes me feel... " Will sat down at the top of the stairs feet coming to rest on the last rung of the ladder "It makes me sound..."  
"Crazy?"  
"Am I...crazy Dr. Lecter?"  
"Crazy is pejorative. You spend your days exposing yourself to the worst acts human kind has to offer. Then you go the extra mile and put yourself in the place of these people. That is bound to put a strain on anyones' psyche."  
"The platitudes are all well and good but what am I supposed to do about it. How do I hold on to sanity when it's trying so hard to run away from me?"  
"There are a number of sensory therapies that you might find helpful."  
"Like what?" Will replied tone taunt with disbelief  
"Given your high level of anxiety I would recommend sensory deprivation therapy." Will raised an eye brow "You take away the senses and reintroduce them one at a time."  
"To what end?" Hannibal gave a wry smile  
"Teaching the brain to more calmly and efficiently process stimuli with the intent of encouraging grounding, preventing over-stimulation and therefor disassociation."  
"Ya gonna stick another needle in my arm?" Will queried sardonically   
"Only if you ask me to." Dr. Lecter showed no smile but Will could see it coiled in the corners of his tannin tinted mouth. "I would have to ask you to sign a contract of informed consent. "  
"Why?"  
"Because your bodily autonomy is important and it helps avoid miscommunication."

'since when has my bodily autonomy been important to you' will thought  
"Meaning it saves you in the event I try and sue you." Graham retorted. descending the stairs   
"Are you planing on taking legal action against me Will?"  
"...no." he replied hands nervously holding on to the ladder rungs behind him  
"Then I'd say this contract is more for you sake than mine." Dr. Lecter reached into a pocket on the side of his chair. Retrieving a manila envelope and from it a multi-page legal document. Will stepped closer taking the outstretched clipboard and name brand ball point pen, this mans love of aesthetic knows no bounds. Will sat in the familiar arm chair flipping through the document with all the attention of a bored teenager leafing through a textbook. Wills eyes drifted up to Dr. Lecters desk. Would he rather have his eyes gouged out with a ball point pen or be bludgeoned with a paper weight?...better question is not how would he choose to die but how would Hannibal kill him in a place like this?...with the elk statue like the cellist?...or would he do it with his bare hands? Will knew he was going to end up playing Hannibals' game whether he signed the paper or not.  
'Maybe he'll smother me with a pillow...' turning his gaze back to the contract he signed the document without further apprehension and passed it back to Dr. Lecter  
"You signed it without reading it?"  
"Call it a thank you for signing my mental health paperwork sight unseen."  
"If you recall that didn't work out very well for you."  
"Then call it giving you the benefit of a doubt."  
"That requires a great deal of trust."  
"So dose the Dr. patient relationship."  
"Or any relationship for that matter." the air was thick and stone silent "Come to my home tomorrow evening at 6:00 PM. sharp."  
"Aye aye captain." Hannibal raised a judgy brow. Will wasn't about to apologize. one must find humor where one can and he was far to exhausted to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if your here for plot bless your soul <3


	2. Nighttime Sharpens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smell  
> Will gets to Dr. Lecters house and Hannibal tests his sense of smell

Wills feet reached the cobblestone patio just as the grandfather clock in Dr. Lecters foyer struck 6:00. Taped to the door was a parchment envelope with his name caligraphied across the center. Peeling the heavy stationary from the door Will opened the envelope, inside was a blindfold, a pair of foam earplugs, and a note  
'Put these on before you knock. Dr. HL.' Will scanned the area. He saw no sign of a security system but he was certain that; not only could Hannibal afford one, he was the type of personality you could see investing in one. Cameras or no Will felt like he was being watched. There were no open windows or peaking curtains but one way or another he knew Dr. Lecter had eyes on him the second he stepped onto the property. Will positioned the ear buds, slid on the mask, reached for the door and knocked. Ear plugs or no ear plugs the creak of a heavy door opening was audible. A strong hand clasped his shoulder guiding him over the threshold and into the house. Will was greeted by the unique heat of a fire place. Dr. Lecter leaned in close enough to be heard through the ear plugs. His voice the same dulcet tone as ever.  
"Take my arm." Will did as he was instructed. A micro shiver trailing up his neck as Hannibals' breath brushed along his skin. Most lethal accidents happen in and around a home, and in the lions den the predator has the home field advantage.

  
'Maybe hell push me down the stairs...then again that seems a tad mundane for Hannibal." the smell of coffee grounds pulled him from his masochistic imaginings. Hannibal loved pallet cleansers. 'If the goal of the night was sensory therapy we must be starting with smell.' given Dr. Lecters olfactory proclivities Will was un-surprised; and grateful, the idea of walking around Hannibal house with a close pin on his nose sounded uncomfortable and more than a little ridiculous. Dr. Lecter guided Will from room to room holding the cup of coffee grounds in front of his nose every time they entered a new space. It took Will a moment to realize Dr. Lecter wanted him to identify; as well as appreciate, the scents he was being exposed to. The more scents he identified the more swiftly they moved through the space. The drawing room was draped in enthralling wisteria conjuring images of misty spring mornings and idyllic sunny afternoons. The unexpected guest wing was apported with the velvety but pedestrian scent of roses. The astringent pang of tea tree oil cut through the bathroom. The hallways were painted with a pervasive blanket of lily. his study was heavy with mahogany and the glorious, unmistakable, ephemeral, pallor of old books. His bedroom was draped in ceder and petrichor. How Hannibal managed to capture the smell of rain freshly fallen to earth...the world may never know but Will was certainly curious; though, given the other seemingly impossible tasks Dr. Lecter accomplished this was somehow unsurprising. Hannibal lead Will to a piece of the house he was totally unfamiliar with. it smelled strongly of leather and...plastic...not a common smell or sight in Hannibals home. The combination made Will think of static free cleaning cloths and the pop of an opening DVD case.

"Dr. Lecter..."

"Yes."

"Do you...have an entertainment room?"

"Define entertainment."

"A place for a television and a comfy couch."

"Yes, I do. Don't most Americans?"

"Yes, but your not most people...let alone most Americans."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Dr. Lecter lead him out of the living room and towards a space near the back of the house that was cooler than the rooms previous. the familiar, viscous bite of tree sap oozed down the walls.  
"Lumber room." Will said "lumber as in fire wood not broken furniture." Dr. Lecter gave him a small pat on the shoulder but said nothing. Will wondered if that was a version of a laugh. Will registered the sound of a weather strip skating across the floor.

"Mind your step." Hannibal said bracing Will at the elbow like a Victorian chaperone helping a corset bound lady off a sidewalk. Will didn't need his sight to know he was outside. He could feel the open, coolness and the moisture in the air. He could smell the grass and what; in the day light, must be a jaw dropping garden.

"Is it just flowers or do you have edible plants out here as well?"

"You tell me." Will rolled his head to one side. Body language voicing the eye roll that the blind fold hid. He had a feeling he was going to hear that phrase a lot tonight. Will took a deep breath. He smelled something sharp...something bitter. it was a small scent but it was none the less lodged somewhere in his brain.

"Might you take me down into the garden?"

"Certainly." Hannibal helped Will down a short set of stairs off of what he guessed was a wooden deck. Will smiled at the give of grass under him.

"Can..." Will pursed his lips shut.

"No, go on what were you going to say."

"Can I take my shoes off?" Will asked a boyish blush blooming across his cheeks

"Of course. I'll hold still. Use me as a balance." Will braced him self lightly on Hannibals' offered arm and took off his shoes and socks by muscle memory.

"Set them to your left we will pick them up on our way inside." Will did as he was instructed then stood for a moment reveling in the feel of earth beneath his bare feet

"Guilty pleasure?" Hannibal asked

"I suppose so. Judging by your tone I'm going to guess its not your glass of wine."

"Not particularly."

"Don't like getting your feet dirty?"

"Not one for going bare foot."

"Cold feet?"

"No..." Hannibal paused Will couldn't see his face but he could feel his contemplation. "My aunt was Japanese...she always said walking around bare foot made one look like a monkey." Hannibal let out a small nostalgic laugh. Will curled his toes under his feet suddenly feeling self-conscious at his state of apparent undress "Oh, no dear Will. you can be bare foot if you please I just wont join you." some of the tension eased from his shoulders. "Shall we continue?"

"Pray do."

"Are you just exploring or are you looking for something in particular."

"I smell something I cant place."

"Well, I'll take you through the garden until you find it." and so he did. Guiding Will through the garden stopping every now and again to let Will soak in the scents around him. They wound their way through the rows and rows of plants until...

"THERE!." Will exclaimed pointing hard to his left. "Take me over there." Hannibal did not move "Please." Dr. Lecter moved Will towards the scent. With an outstretched hand Will searched for the thing he knew must be before him. His hand met with the somewhat stiff brush of leaves. Rubbing the leaf between his fingers he searched for the memory in his head. "May i pull one of these off?"

"Yes, I'll hold the branch still." with a little assistance Will plucked the leaf from the yet unidentified plant. Holding it to his nose he took a deep breath begging his memory to give him the name...

"this...reminds me..." another smell

"go on."

"of...the crab apple tree in my uncles back yard..."

"wow...well done Will."

"Really?!" Will questioned face contorting with surprise

"Yes."

"Why do you keep crab apples?"

"It was here when i bought the house and I just haven't had the mind to take it out yet. What gave it away? "

"The leaves have a bitter smell to them." Will held the leaf closer to Hannibal. "It stuck out." Dr. Lecter took in the unassuming smell. cataloging it in his olfactory compendium.

"Quite right. shall we go back inside."

"lets." picking up his shoes on the way back in, returning both sock and sole to his feet Dr. Lecter directed Graham back into the house through the lumber room, coming to a stop Will was hit by an icy down draft...an opened door....stairs. 'Maybe he WILL push me down the stairs.' against Grahams hypothesis Hannibal guided him gently down each step, free hand gripping the rail until his feet met concrete. This space was cold and more than a little damp. It smelled of old wood and dusty...glass. It was a mixture of scents Will was not terribly familiar with but if he knew Hannibal

  
"Wine cellar." He was rewarded with a pat on the back. The pair made several turns before coming upon what Will guessed to be a door. Judging by the audible scraping it was made of metal. Upon the instant they entered the space there was a shift in energy as Dr. Lecter guided Graham to yet another section of the house. The change was near tangible Will felt it under Hannibals skin. He could all but taste it in the air. This was not a place he took visitors. Will could not discern where he was in the house. If he was in the house at all. There was something distant about this space. Something cold and surgical. Like an operating theater. The space roared with the echos of screams never voiced. The tacky weight of industrial plastic hung heavy in the finger numbing air. There was no stench of death, no reek of putrefaction this place was as clean as every other part of Dr. Lecters house but this space was not Dr. Lecters...it belonged to the thing inside him...the copy cat, the Chesapeake Ripper, Ill Monstro. This place belonged to the beast not to the man. Despite the unseen dangers of the room Will felt no fear for his life. This is not where Hannibal killed this is where he turned raw materials into art. This was not a murder room it was a work shop. Hannibal wouldn't kill him here but if Hannibal did kill him...his body would end up here. Will wondered if he would be eaten or if he would be transformed. Turned into one of Hannibals Primordial works of art. Would he be nourishment to the body or to the soul? Mind you, Will did not want to die. He did not want to be eaten but, he had be presented with the possibility of both events occurring so many times the fight or flight terror had gone from his thoughts. The danger was very real but Will had chosen; against his better judgments' time and time again to not be afraid.  
"Dr. Lecter." Graham called out voice audible but dampened through the ear plugs  
"Yes Will."  
"Where are we?"  
"Where do you think we are.?" blind fold still affixed Will turned his veil'ed gaze directly towards Hannibal  
"Your office." Will replied. voice thick with tremulous accusation. Will wondered how many other living souls had walked into this space...and how many...if any had walked out. He was hit with his answer like a man standing in front of a freight train  
Beverly.  
earplugs not withstanding he had questions and he needed answers.  
"Is...is this" Will cleared the lump forming in his throat "Is this where you...is this where she...?"Will paused his words hardly a whisper "...Is this where she died?...is this where you killed her?" Hannibal drew closer. Wrapping a hand aside Wills head he pressed a kiss to Grahams scared temple. 'Maybe he'll lobotomize me with an ice pick.'  
"I am so sorry Will...I took no joy in killing Beverly. I had no plans to kill her either. She was smart and kind."  
"Then why do it?"  
"She came here uninvited and saw thing that were not hers to see."  
"So, she did know your secret."  
"Yes. clever girl."  
"And you killed her for it."  
"Need i remind you that it was you who lead her to me."  
"This is not on me! I specifically told her to stay away from you."  
"Yes, your words said stay away but the trail of bread crumbs lead her directly-"  
"To the man behind the curtain." at this Hannibal clamped Wills Jaw in his hands."

"You think you've seen behind the curtain boy?" Will had so much he wanted to say but thought that here and now where not the place to do it.  
'Maybe he'll rip my jaws apart like he did to the Dr.' without a word further Hannibal wound his way back to the wine cellar 'He could have killed me...where he killed Beverly but he didn't maybe this night wont go the way he anticipates.


	3. Savor Each Sensation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taste

He lead Will back up the stairs through the enormous pantry into a part of the house that Will knew all to well

He swore he could smell his blood soaked into the floor, or was that Abigails' ? He knew there was no smell. At this point the floor had been cleaned and cleaned and cleaned again. That didn't stop his mind from dredging up the soupy odder of lying face down in a puddle of his own blood watching someone he had tried to save bleed out with no hope of rescue. His covered eyes flashed with images of bowing stags and rustling trees. Of rivers filled with swimming corpses and the visceral sensation of slicing open someones throat.

"Where are we?" Hannibal asked

"Your the one without a blindfold on you tell me." Will replied coldly

"I know where we are. I want to see if you do."

"Were in the room where you tried to kill me."

"Correct."

"Why?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why did you do it?"

"You'll have to specify the 'it' dear Will."

"Why did you try to kill me? Why did you try to kill me like that?...Why keep Abigail alive if you were just going to kill her?"

"To answer the first question" Hannibal paused weighing his words "your lies...your...betrayal...gutted me will...I was simply"

"Returning the favor."

"More or less...and as for Abigail, I didn't plan on killing her. I planed on taking her with us."

"And where exactly would we have gone?"

"The where would have bee inconsequential as long as-"

"As long as what Dr. Lecter?" 

"As long as were were together."

"I wouldn't have pegged you for the sentimentalist...i can see the Tattlecrime headlines now 'murder husbands traversing the globe with our adopted homicidal daughter in tow' ."

"I wouldn't mind that moniker so much if it hand't been Freddie who coined it" Will replied with an ambivalent shrug "she was what gave you away you know...I could smell her hair dye on you...you should have let the dead stay dead Will."

"Pot, kettle" Will said numbly. "I still don't understand why she had to die."

"To borrow from Oscar Wilde.."he was found out his doctors discovered that Bumbry could not live..."

"And so Bumbry died." Will paused, weighing the the full measure of Hannibals blase confession "You killed her...because of me...because...because I lied to you...she dead because I made you mad?!..."

"You can choose to see it that way."

"How do you see it exactly."

"The world we were entering into was not safe for an innocent like Abigail."

"Yes, because you made it unsafe!" Will shouted

"What would have happened to her if she had followed me to Italy...what would Verger have done to a girl like Abigail? look how he treated his own sister!...what about Dolerhyde...do you think they would have been as merciful. Can you fathom what a sadist like Verger or his surgeon would have done to her. Or Francis would he have just let her be knowing she was a weak point we both shared? Do you truly think she could have made it out alive?... and if she did...after all she would have seen would she have any sanity to live with?"

"We'll never know because you made the choice for her."

"I could only save one of you will."

"Save us?! you were the one putting us in danger."

"I'm sorry you feel that way."

"No, don't throw your psychiatrist platitudes at me Hannibal. You sprayed her blood across the walls and have the gaul to call it mercy. "

"Compared to the futures I saw for her it is mercy."

"You just couldn't fathom a version of her future - of our future that you weren't in." Wills words came down like a guillotine killing the conversation where it stood.

Hannibal let out a sigh. his breath heavy with an emotion Will could not quite name.

attempted murder not withstanding some part of Wills mind registered Hannibal as his friend. and hearing that he hurt his friend hurt some part of him. Hannibals hurt feelings don't excuse his homicidal actions...but they also don't stop that sick codependent part of his psyche from feeling guilty for breaking the heart fragments of this lonely cannibal.

As they drew closer to the dining room the boutique of smells became too vociferous for any one scent to be easily identifiable. Will felt the drag of wooden legs on a hardwood floor. He reached for the pulled out chair only to have his hand batted away. Lacing his fingers in front of him he let Dr. Lecter guide him into the chair. once seated a singular scent passed in front of him. it was warm, sharp, beguiling. One part body wash, one part cologne, 2 parts sweat and pheromones. Will took a leap of faith and leaned forward pressing his lips to the square if skin held in front of him. Luckily; for his ego, lips met wrist and Will felt a shudder roll through Dr. Lecters arm. the adjoining hand slid into Wills hair, digits coiling around the curls. Will released his head into Dr. Lecters hands. The surgeon turned on the spot clutching a fist full of Wills hair, nails clawing into his scalp. There were no words. Will couldn't see his face but the message was clear. No touching

"Mea culpa" Will said letting his head careen back exposing the vulnerable flesh on his neck. Graham could feel the doctors eyes on his throat. hoping against hope that the skip in his pulse would go unnoticed.

the surface of his apology was for breaking an unspoken rule but the core of it...was an apology for betraying Hannibal...for lying to him...it was much to little much too late and it didn't absolve Hannibal of his attempt to literally kill everyone but...it was an apology Will felt Hannibal needed to hear none the less. Dr. Lecter released Wills scalp setting his hands to work on an unseen task. Another notable shift in energy as Will waited, attempting to pull information from his environment. He heard the faint clink of dishware and the the drag of a second chair. Felt the drape of a napkin over his lap.  
'On to taste' Will thought. If there was one thing he could count on it was that Hannibal would not poison the food.

laying hand to Wills shoulder Hannibal leaned in close enough to be heard through the still present ear plugs

'Open." He said. his single worded command drawing up images of days recently passed in a haze of silk and dopamine. Will let hims mouth drop open

Dr. Lecter carefully fed him delicately balanced fork-fulls. Giving Graham 3 chances to correctly identify what he was being fed. the nutritional kaleidoscope began with fruits bearing flesh. The soft, sweetness of spiced peaches riding on a warm summer breeze sprinkled with clove and ginger. The pithy fuzz of figs, an old favorite from dinners past. Then apples. In all their crunchy, juicy glory. Fleshed fruits were followed by meaty greens.

"Collard greens.

"Yes.

"spend much time down on the bayou Dr. Lecter?" Will queried, coiling his voice in a lazy southern drawl.

"No, but I'm perfectly capable of following a recipe."

"I would have thought Creole to be off of your alimentary map

"why is that

"you lean pretty french

"so dose Creole. the word it self is french and much of the food though thoroughly american contains heavy french overtones. like their love of butter. also when i cook i like to consult masters in the field and as far as i; and much of the world, are concerned the African communities of the american south hold the title when it comes to cooking collard greens. I'm a snob Will not a racist." Will could not help but laugh. the unexpected collards were followed by spinach and the spiced bite of arugula notable above all else. Without ado the meal progressed; as all meals did under Dr. Lecters roof, to meat. each dish paired with a complimentary wine. starting with seafood. Easy enough for a life long fisherman. The clean taste of salmon, tuna, chicken-like halabit, then a taste that came with a shudder

"something wrong."

"i have a rather quixotic fear of eels.

"do you really. Why for?"

"they aren't like most oceans predators. they tend to strike out of fear rather than need of food. one could swim past their cove without even knowing it. I've seen too many people nearly get bitten or stung by eels. they sneak up on you.

how do you feel about sharks.

"as strange as it sounds I'm more unnerved by the thought of scuba diving around eels than i am by the idea of being in a cage in shark infested waters.

"you fear being snuck up on more than being eaten."

"i suppose. i know the sharks could do more damage but something about eels...makes my toes curl scientists don't even know where they breed. they know that they breed out at sea but they have no idea where

"dose eating eel bother you.

"no. eels bother me... eating then is..." Will shrugged. " neither here nor there." slippery eel was followed by ever chewy squid. Seafood was preceded by the nondescript Cornish game hen, the unmistakable omnipresent dryness of turkey, then duck. just as oily as he remembered. Chicken. of course paired with an equally predictably Chardonnay. Ostrich and Emu were tricky and mostly deduced through process of elimination.

white meats where naturally followed by red. the sharp sinew of venison, the next bight was a familiar taste that in recent years had taken on a whole new connotation

elk

his minds eye was seized with image after image after image of elks: elks he'd seen as a child, elks hes hunted, elk heads he had seen in home spun diners, elks in rifle magazines, elks in hunting video games, elks in classic art, statues of elks from once visited cities and last but; undoubtedly, foremost the elk that wandered the wilds of his subconscious. Whether it was an embodiment of him or Abigail he hadn't quite decided but one day it came and so far it seems it has come to stay.

"Will." Hannibal called out. Hannibal had removed the earplugs. he had the tone of man tired of repeating himself

"I'm sorry."

"where were you just now? "

"Not here."

"That much was evident."

"I was." Will squeezed his eyes shut under the blindfold. Willing the strobe-light speed of his mind to slow."I was...in the stream."

"Where you alone?" Wills mouth hung open neither air nor words escaping the vice of his anxiety. "breathe." Hannibal directed. Will took in a gulp of air. "were you alone?"

"No."

"Who was with you."

"I think you know perfectly well who was with me Dr...Lecter..."

"Is Abigail always with you when you fish?"

"Not always....but, more often than not."

"hmm...was anyone else with you."

"the elk was there."

" _The_ Elk.

"yes."

"the one you were fed."

"No...no, this elk...this elk."

"only exists in your mind? "

"that's the rub.. it doesn't stay in my mind."

"Is the elk a common hallucination. " Will grimaced. "Would you prefer the word 'projection'. like an image being projected from your mind to the screen of your eyes."

"makes me sound like a robot."

"would you rather be a robot or a mad man? "

"would i rather have all mind and no heart or would i rather have all soul and no mind? "

"do you think a mad man retains his soul

"i think its the only thing hes got left." Will once again left the conversation as dead as a coffin nail. Hannibal continued the meal without preamble. Bear with its fat and grease cut down to size, beef paired with a near effervescent red table wine, and finally pork. Then on to what he correctly guessed to be organs. tongue, lungs, brain.

organs...

like the ones missing from Beverly...  
"Did you eat Beverlys' kidneys?  
"I did, yes."  
"And the organs you replaced hers with?"  
"She had planned on taking them back to Quantico with her."  
"So you sent her back with them." Will heaved a sigh

"there is one more dish." moving to take the next bite, more than a little unsure about what might follow his lips met flesh in-place of fork Will froze. Options and their implications racing past him at light speed. Without moving closer Will opened his mouth, lips trembling infinitesimally as he waited. A clean and careful hand guided the food between Wills lips. He felt the cool smoothness of enamel against his skin. He identified the organ quickly from the handful of hunting trips he had taken in his life.  
"Heart." Will knew he was right but Dr. Lecter fed him another piece. "I still think its heart." Dr. Lecter pressed his thumb to Wills lower lip as he pulled away before feeding him more of the same "I swear its -" the words left his lips before he ever spoke. They hung on the molecules in the air. Will knew. Hannibal knew and both were aware that they were on the same page. All that was left was the words. "Heart...human heart." he felt a hand on his shoulder and a small twist in his gut. Not at the literal consuming of a human organ but at the heady metaphoric implications which Dr. Lecter had; no doubt, intended. Hannibal just hand fed him a warm human heart. It might as well have been his own. Will found him self smiling.  
"Such a clever boy Will." Hannibal praised. Wills blush was nigh inconcealable.


	4. And Word Became Flesh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sound

"Rise." Dr. Lecter instructed. Will stood and removed himself for the chair. Reaching out for Dr. Lecters arm. "To the drawing room." Hannibal directed. He guided Will around furniture placing him in an arm chair near the pianoforte.  
"Dr. Lecter."  
"Yes  
"When you say your sorry for killing Beverly...is that just a turn of phrase or do you actually feel remorse?"  
"I feel remorse I'm not sure I fell guilt."  
"About killing her or in general?"  
"In general. I know remorse...intimately...but guilt...I'm far less familiar with."  
"Hmm. Do you just not feel it or have you learned to ignore it."

"if I let myself feel guilt for my actions I would have ended my own life before I ever made it to this continent." The atmosphere once again filled with all the words left unsaid. Will wanted to ask him so many questions...about his childhood, about his family...his sister...her death...and his part to play in all of it. He knew better. Hannibal didn't have to speak her name. It was tattooed across his irises, it was poured over every dish he cooked, every meal he prepared. It pressed every crease on his suit, it was folded into his linens and stacked on his pantry, it was boxed up in the attic and buried in the garden. Mischas name was painted on every nook and cranny of Hannibals life if one only knew where took look. Hannibals mind palace  had many closets with many skeletons to fill them. Yet, its innumerable hallways were only home to one ghost. A formless shadow by the name of Mischa. The sister who started it all. One day Will would ask Hannibal the question...but it was not this day.

After a silence of indeterminate length Hannibal spoke.  
"Do you know much about the religious wars that went on in France during the late Renaissance ?  
"Cant say that i do."  
"As the schism between Catholic and Protestant widened do you know that issue separated them more than any other?"  
"The divinity of Jesus."  
"A worthy guess but no."  
"Theeeee....corrupt leaders of the church."  
"No, try again."  
"Honestly I wouldn't have the faintest idea."  
"The largest point of contention between the two religious factions was over whether the consuming of the Eucharist was a literal or metaphoric act. Are the wafer and the wine transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ or is it merely a symbolic gesture.  
"I'm guessing the Catholics went the literal route"  
"Naturally. The poetry of the time saught to express the length and breadth of their ideological differences through complex cannibalistic metaphors. Comparing the act of consuming and being consumed to the act of ingesting false ideals or dogma and being ingested into a corrupt political or religious faction.  
"If you become consumed by their apostasy you'll be ingested into their corrupt body of belief  
"Yes, quite. Through the perpetually competing poetic styles of the day and through the metaphor of cannibalism the two groups sought to distinguish the full scope of their religious beliefs. The metaphors and analogies ran so deep and contradictory though the poetry of the time that the poets in their attempt to distance them selves from the opposing religious stance ran the constant risk of allying themselves with the very opinions they were in opposition to. I would wager you know exactly what that feels like." Will said nothing but Hannibal didn't require an answer "At this same time you have the Jesuits all but creating the art of penitence."  
"You mean the catholic church in general doesn't hold the patent on that?"  
"They have certainly contributed to the source material but it wasn't considered a true religious sacrament until this point. Oddly enough the act of outward penance for sins allowed the sinner to voice their suffering in world that had previously given no room to such human issues."  
"What is your suffering compared to that of Christ...what is the pain of a mortal in the eyes of a God."  
"It is that very note of mortality that the Jesuits drew on they sought to bring death to life: In their poetry, their pros, and their pamphlets, encouraging devotees to contemplate their own death. In the hope that acknowledging ones mortal fragility would bring one into greater appreciation of Jesus suffering and greater awareness of gods immortal glory. The people of the time believed that the places of human kind is in the body and Gods place is in the voice. So much so that there are time when word and flesh become wholly interchangeable. Poets wrote stories where it was Gods word being crucified rather than his physical body. They believed so thoroughly in the power of language, words and speech that in the later years of the religious wars they would literally choke Reformationists' and heretics to death with pages torn from the old testament.  
"Gives the phrase choking on ones words a whole new meaning."  
"Yes, it certainly dose."  
'maybe that's how he would do it?' Will wondered if Hannibal was going to choke him with literature...which novel would he deface to do it.?  
"I'm going to read you a poem and i want what you think of it."  
"Did you write it."  
"No."  
"Who did?"  
"lets see if you can guess.  
"Allegro mi sembrava Amor tenendo Meo core in mano, e ne le braccia avea Madonna involta in un drappo dormendo. Poi la svegliava, a d’esto core ardendo Lei paventosa umilmente pascea Appreso gir lo ne vedea piangendo."**  
"I dont speak italian."  
"The first three hours of night were almost spent The time that every star shines down on us When Love appeared to me so suddenly That I still shudder at the memory. Joyous Love seemed to me, the while he held My heart within his hands, and in his arms My lady lay asleep wrapped in a veil. He woke her then and trembling and obedient She ate that burning heart out of his hand; Weeping I saw him then depart from me."  
"Was that a direct translation?  
"No, the writers vocabulary and conjugation is quite old and much more formal like Shakespeare to modern Queens English. The Italian I have learned to speak is...more current I haven't quite memorized the original in its entirety...at least not well enough to recite from memory."  
"As to who wrote it... knowing you...given that it was in Italian. Dante Alighieri."  
"Well done. I don't think i need to explain to you how eating a heart conjures powerful images in ones mind.  
"I think you would know better than i would."Wills retort bounced of the walls and rolled across the floor and Hannibal did not pick it up.  
"Do you know any poems?"  
"Off the top of my head?"  
"Yes."  
"That can hold up to that? not really"  
"Don't sell your self so short."  
"Dr. Lecter I studied psychology not English literature" **  
"Your trying to tell me you cant conjure a single piece of pros."  
"Well...no but."  
"Please Will. " He huffed out a breath. Before inhaling deeply, and starting without preamble  
"It was many and many a year ago, in a kingdom by the sea, that a maiden there lived whom you may know by the name of Annabel Lee." Will paused Hannibal waited "And this maiden she lived with no other thought. Than to love and be loved by me. She was a child and I was a child, in this kingdom by the sea, but we loved with a love that was more than love— I and my Annabel Lee— With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven coveted her and me. This was the reason that long ago, in this kingdom by the sea, a wind blew out of a cloud, chilling my beautiful Annabel Lee. So that her highborn kinsmen came and bore her away from me. To shut her up in a sepulchre In this kingdom by the sea." Will stopped face dropping to his lap  
"Go on."  
"The angels, not half so happy in Heaven, Went envying her and me— Yes!—that was the reason-"  
"As all men know, In this kingdom by the sea" Hannibal inerjected.  
"That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. " Will said with finality   
"I know that's not the end. please continue."  
"But our love it was stronger by far than the love of those who were older than we— of many far wiser than we— and neither the angels in Heaven above nor the demons down under the sea can ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabel Lee. For...for the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams of the beautiful Annabel Lee; and the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes of the beautiful Annabel Lee; and so...all...and so..."Will was at a loss for the last stanza mouth hanging open in the hopes words may fall out.  
"And so all the night-tide, I lie down by the side of my darling"  
"My darling—my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea—"  
"In her tomb by the sounding sea."  
"Read a lot of Poe?  
"I've read enough. when did you learn that?"  
"I read it for the first time in middle school didn't commit it to memory till high school."  
"What drove you to memories it?"  
"A homework assignment. it seemed less insiped than some of my other poetic choices."  
Hannibal made a sound of understanding before moving to a different spot in the room.  
"I'm going to play you a song and I want you to tell me as much as you can about the music"  
the song started out slow and soft as most good classical pieces do. Gradually gaining volume, speed and complexity. The piece was nostalgic yet precise and somewhat introverted. There was something almost mathematical about the composition. Math...Mathematician. Bach.  
"Joan Sebastian Bach.  
"Very good Will. do you no the name?"  
"Unfortunately no."  
"Aria De Capo, from the Goldberg Variations. De Capo meaning 'from the head' or 'from the beginning'. De Capo arias are often a note for note repeat of the opening aria. The general opinion is that Bach did not compose the aria himself but adapted it from now untraceable French dance music. Scholars believe that these variations were commissioned by the Russian ambassador Count Kaiseling at the court of Dresden. The Count suffered from insomnia and called on his chamber musician Johann Goldberg to play music that would be 'soft and yet a little gay' to help him sleep.  
"Did it work?"  
"As the story goes the Russian ambassador gave Bach a golden goblet filled with 100 gold pieces. Would you pay that much for something that didn't work?"  
"Not if i could help it."  
Hannibal relocated again. This time closer to Will. How close exactly Will could not be sure.  
"I have one more song i would like to play for you."  
"Please do."  
the song was sorrowful, graceful and there was something feminine about the way the notes danced across the scales. The piece was mournful. Heavy with longing and loneliness. The contemplative notes were stitched together with a child like air of hope. The song spoke of light in the darkness. Will knew the piece immediately but couldn't bare to interrupt it with speaking. As the melody wound down Wills mind was filled with a setting moon and a Shakespearean sunrise promising the freedom of a new day. As the last wistful notes where pulled from the instrument Will gave Hannibal his answer.  
"Clair de lune, Debussy. Never heard it on a theremin, an ephemeral instrument for an ephemeral song.  
"Very good. Do you know anything else about it?"  
"No, but I'm sure your going to fill me in."  
"Clair De lune is the 3rd and easily most famous movement of Debussys 4 part Suite Bergamasque. Bergamasque referencing a unrefined folk dance from Bergamo Italy. The piece is in 9/8 meter. The song draws its name from an 1869 poem by Paul Verlaine. The piece was originally titled 'promenade Sentimentale  
"Sentimental...stroll."  
"Precissely. Debusey started writing the suit in 1890 but did not finish or publish the piece until 1905 which happened to be the same year his daughter was born. Though Bach is a baroque musician this piece is distinctly not baroque belonging; rather, to the genera of french impressionalism  
"I thought that was reserved for paintings."  
"It usually is but Debussy drew on the art of vivid imagery and detached observation to paint a picture. The notes are the brush and the listeners emotions are the paint. Debussy was quoted to have once said  
'We should be constantly reminding ourselves that the beauty of a work of art is something that will always remain mysterious; that is to say one can never find out exactly “how it is done”. At all costs let us preserve this element of magic peculiar to music. By its very nature music is more likely to contain something of the magical than any other art.'  
"A magician never reveals his secrets."  
"Essentially. Stand up please." Will heard the rolling of metal wheels. The theremin must be on a trolley. setting the instrument to rest somewhere along the wall. will heard the unmistakable scratch and skip of a needle on a record. A simple melancholic waltz tip toed its way out the speakers.  
"May i have this dance."  
"What?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **  
> Sooo I tried to match up what Hannibal says in te episode with the Italian version of the poem and...the words don't actually match up so I made an excuse as to why the poem and hannis in episode diologue ate so diffrent
> 
> **  
> This part is funny because Hugh Dancy has a degree in english literature for Oxford


	5. Sweet Intoxication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Touch

"I dont dance."  
"Then its a good thing I'm leading." Hannibal took Wills left hand in his right. His free hand slid around to rest at Wills waist. "Put your hand on my shoulder."  
the step was a 4 count waltz, of course. Will wasn't sure if Hannibal had a dance floor or if he made one but they moved through the space unobstructed. Hannibal moving Will like he was weightless.  
"What do you feel?"  
"Emotionally or physically?"  
"physically."  
"I feel my feet on the floor...i feel my hands in yours...i feel the air moving around me."  
"Very good, are you dizzy?"  
"No."  
"Good." Hannibal sped up turning and dipping Will in time with the rise and fall of the music "what else do you feel ?"  
"Inertia and gravity pushing and pulling on my body."  
"And?  
"I'm not sure what else."  
"Think closer to the source...your axis if you will."  
"I feel...my...muscles moving me. My bones supporting me..."  
"And."  
"And...and I feel you...next to me."  
"Splendid." Hannibal replied. With one last spin he slid the pair to a stop "Come with me." as they entered a new room Will was grasped by the smells of citrus and eucalyptus.  
"May I take your jacket."  
"I'm alright, thank you." a long pause. It wasn't a question. Will removed his outer layer and handed it to Dr. Lecter.  
"Remove your shoes please." Will did so holding them on the edge of his fingers unsure of where to set them. "I'll take those." Will registered the soft sound of rubber soles being tucked against a wall. He felt a cold, smooth yet, divited surface under his feet.  
"Tile?"  
"Yes."  
"Bathroom?"  
"Good boy. Socks or vest next?" Will shrugged and handed Hannibal both. The floor was cold but the room was warm, humid, steamy even. As he stood near the doorway he felt the cooler air dissipating into the now open room.  
"Take my hand." Dr. Lecter moved Will a short distance placing his hand on a cold, hard piece of furniture. Will slowly slid his palm down the surface and was soon met with warm water and a diaphanous substance that made his finger tips think of the day he rescued Winston and long stints in his childhood bathroom  
"A...bubble bath?"  
"Very good. There is a table to your right with a bell you may put your clothes there and ring for me when you are submerged." without any further justification Hannibal turned and left the room, his heels ticking slightly on the tile. Even with the sound of a shutting door Will wondered if he was really alone. He could lift the mask...but some part of him didn't want to know and the other parts didn't care. He removed and folded each item of clothing stacking them neatly on the aforementioned table. Climbing into the tub the water was hot but not scalding. It felt like milk and smelt like honey. Groping for the bell he got as deep in the water as he could without looking foolish and gave the bell a timid ring. Nothing. Will let out a breath and rang again this time loud enough to send the sound pinging off the tiled walls. Dr. Lecter reentered and Will registered the sound of wood on stone. Another table? a stool perhaps?  
"Lay back please." Will complied shoulders tight. body and mind still unsure of just how much to relax. "I need to take the blind fold off but I want you to keep your eyes closed. can you do that for me?" Will nodded. "Good." he heard weight shift behind him as the mask was slid from his face. The room must have been dimmed. not much light made it past his eyelids. Will heard something break the surface of the water then felt it ripple next to him. Moving away from it he felt a hand on his opposing shoulder.  
"Easy I'm just wetting my hands." Wills question was answered before he could voice it. As a small palm full of water met his scalp and poured down his neck.  
"Allow me." Will said pinching his nose and sliding under the water ruffling his fingers through his floating curls until his hair was soaked through. He came up and wiped the water from his face, eyes still shut.  
"Thank you. Sit back please." Will heard the pop of a cap then felt cold on his scalp as Hannibal worked the softly pine scented soap through his hair focusing on the space around his face and atop his head.

"I'm guessing this doesn't have a picture of a ship on the bottle."

"no, it dose not. rinse please." Will dunked himself washed out the lather and resurfaced. Hannibal poured another ration of soap into his hand  
"You actually repeat?"  
"Yes I do. it helps prevent buildup that can cause odder and flakes." Hannibal explained his nails working the lather into the often ignored underside of Wills head. "Rinse please." next Hannibal worked a trace amount of conditioner onto the ends. Scrunching the moisturize into his hair. As Wills scalp all but purred at the stimulation he wondered how long he could hold his breath. With his feet this slick and a tub this smooth could he get purchase if Hannibal tried to push him under could he fight him stark naked with slick feet and pruny hands. He found himself wondering if Hannibal could strangle him with a towel  
"Put your hand out." Hannibal poured something into his palm that smelled vaguely of lemongrass. "Wash your face please." Will followed the instructions and realized that the last time he bought face wash for himself he was still in collage. Will rinsed off his face, wiped away the extra water; eyelids still drawn close. "Hold out your hand." Hannibal placed a cold square object in his palm. he scored the surface gently with his thumb nails,  
"Bar soap."  
"Precisely. wash up, be through, dry off, put on the clothes laid out on the table."  
"Wait, where are my clothes?"  
"With your shoes. I presumed after a bath you would want fresh clothes. Don't worry I wont desperate you from your belongings. When you are dressed ring the bell and...you may leave the mask...I trust you to behave." the eye brow raise was audible. "Please use your sight. When exiting the tub your feet will be slippery from the moisturizer in the soap. There's no rug and I don't want you to slip." Will heard Hannibal leave. Creaking his eyes open he found himself in what he guessed was Hannibals bathroom. Spacious, artistic, styled like a roman bath with its mosaiced floor and classical art. Looking to his left he found the table and a simple white bell decorated with a single ring of gold near the base. The clothes left out where non-descript but familiar. A white tee shirt, grey boxer briefs, black sweat pants,and a pair of white cotton socks.  
'did Hannibal take some of my clothes?' next to the bell was a still packaged toothbrush and an unopened travel size tube of fennel toothpaste along with unwaxed floss and antiseptic mouthwash. Hannibal gave no verbal instruction but the request was loud and clear. He got out, toweled off, got dressed. brushed, flossed and rinsed without ceremony. Shutting his eyes just as he set the ringing bell to rest on the table. Hannibal entered and Will reached out for his arm. They walked out into the hallway.  
"Are these my clothes?"  
"Yes."  
"When did you take these?"  
"When i looked after your dogs."  
'probably the same time he planted the evidence that framed me for murder' Will thought  
"How long have you been planning this?"  
"Long enough." Hannibal lead Will into a wing of the house he was unfamiliar with. His sense were soaked in lavender and coddled in chamomile. There was another smell. a smooth, processed smell. Of something once living.  
"Leather.  
"Very good, what else." Dr. Lecter asked walking Will around the room. The space was dusted with something porous. chalk...no heavier...and there's something right along side it. Wood and canvas...no...an easel.  
"Charcoal. I smell charcoal."  
"Correct."  
"Is this where you draw."  
"Sometimes. Its where I store my supplies at least."  
"Where are we?"  
"A parlor off of my bedroom." Dr. Lecter replied directing Will to a piece of furniture roughly in the center of the room. A table with a padded top draped in a cotton sheet.  
"a...massage table?"  
"yes."  
"do I have to take my clothes off?"  
"the ethical standard is to ask the recipient to undress to there comfort level. I can leave and give you a moment to get under the draping." Will shrugged  
"Were all girls here" he said with a sardonic smile. Will swore he heard the breath of a laugh. Eyes soft like they were when he turned back the clock at a crime scene Will pulled the shirt over his shoulders dropping the garment to rest somewhere under the table. He could feel Dr. Lecters eyes scouring the ragged scar he had left behind. Moving a hand to lift the sheet Will paused. Turning his gaze to the last place he heard Hannibal. Taking a breath he hooked his thumbs under the band of his sweat pants and slid them to the floor. Toeing out of them he climbed on to the table under the sheet and laid out on his back. Fingers lacing across his stomach. Palms covering the still numb abdominal scar. hands slick with almond scented oil Hannibal worked into Will muscles. Tension and neglect stitched through every fiber. Dr. Lecter took care around Wills numerous scars. From the over lapping bullet/stab wound on his right shoulder to the spackling of scars on his face. Some put there by yours truly others by...murders and psychopaths. Classical music that Will couldn't name drifted from somewhere in the room. As Dr. Lecter proceeded he kept Will covered no matter the muscle he was working. Tucking pieces of the sheet here and there to be out of his way but not exposing anything unnecessary. By all accounts a professional massage from a practiced hand. If there was an alterear motive it wasn't present here. Will found himself relaxing into the hands of a man he knew could kill him. A man who had tried to kill him on several occasions. There's a certain un-recommendable freedom that comes with trusting someone dangerous. It requires a level of reckless abandon one would likely be chastised for. Yet here he was...letting Dr. Lecter cradle his head in his hands as he pulled this way and that stretching the compressed muscles on Wills neck. One good twist and Will would be a dead man. Inhale 1 2 3 4 exhale 1 2 3 4. When all was said and done Will must have been on the table for at least an hour.

"Be sure to drink extra water tomorrow. Deep tissue massage releases toxins stored in the muscles. If you don't flush them out you may end up with a headache. you may redress."  
"Im fine." a slight pause filled the space  
"Very well, take my arm, come with me. " Will stood from the table and followed Dr. Lecter they reentered the room of leather and plastic but this time the space was drenched in the smell of flowers. Which ones? Will couldn't really pick one out. They all mixed together into one conglomerate of floral scents. The change in the room was so drastic it halted will in his steps.

"is..is this the entertainment room?"

"I'm not sure that's the best word for it but, yes."

"what about living room?"

"I don't do much living in here."

"home theater then?"

"that's preferable to its predecessors. Names not withstanding you are where you think you are."

"Then why dose it smell like a garden?" Will felt Hannibal smile as the Dr. directed him towards the center of the room

"mind your step. "Will paused, perplexed by the decent mid room

"sunken living room?"

"yes."

"how very 1970's of you Dr." He quipped stepping down into what he expected to be floor and air but his skin was met with something else. Something soft, heavier than bubbles but lighter than blankets or pillows. Will retracted his foot nearly throwing himself off balance.

"what am i stepping in?!"

"you're alright. you're not going to break anything or trip. would you like my help or would you like to descend on your own?"

"can i use my eyes."

"not yet."

"hmmm." Will stood hesitantly on the precipice of he knew not what.

"try stepping into it like you would a pool." the words brought forth a distinct set of muscle memory. There where few sensations in the world quite like moving through water. With this new found direction Will stepped down into the living room arms out to his sides. Blind to the objects filling the space around him. His feet couldn't identify them but when his fingers reached the surface the sensation could not be mistaken,

"flower petals...you filled the sunken living room with flower petals" Wills face broke into a smile.

"very good Will."

"how on earth did you manage this?"

"told my florest i would pay them by the pound to fill a few hermetically seal-able bags with flower petals."

and they said yes?"

"clearly." will cocked a salty brow at Hannibal

"how big is this space."

"feel for your self. swim around...if you will." and that's precisely what he had to do. There were enough petals for there to be weight. The space was thick with them every movement required displacing the petals around it and thus Will walked thorough the space like he would in a chest deep pool. Walking heel to toe he made 8 steps one way and 10 steps another he guessed he was standing in roughly 3 feet of flower petals.

"When did you set this up we were in here earlier...was this here then?"

"No i set it up while you were in the bath. once the petals where collected and bagged it was just a matter of pouring them into the space."

"how did you know how many bags you would need?" some fiendish part of wills brain screamed 'please say trial and error."

"i had a friend at Quantico help me with some 'theoretical' math. They had a blast and I only had to make one flower order." Hannibal watched as a gust of whimsy overtook Will, a beaming smile lighting his face as he stretched out his arms and slowly laid back into the pool of petals. He sunk slower than he would in water but he sank none the less. The satin like surface covering him in a blanker of roses and lilac. Of lilies and freesia. Lavender and cherry blossom. Will rolled around in the velvety space until he wiggled himself to the bottom. It wasn't exactly easy to breath but it wasn't impossible.

"Will?" Hannibal called out. cupping his hands with his mouth so he wouldn't choke on a rose Will replied

"not drowning."

"do you mind if I join you?" Will paused sitting upright on the floor of the sunken living room.

"no, not at all, come on in the waters great." Will shouted up through the petals. Inching to the surface Will could feel Hannibal step into the pool. Felt his weight dispersed the flowers. Will could not see him but he could feel him moving around him' circling like a shark around a seal. Grasped by the God of mischief Will waited for Hannibal to pass by him then clutching his ankle he dragged Hannibal under the surface of the flowers. Groping for balance Hannibals hands found Wills shoulders. the older man dragged the petal covered imp back towards the surface strong hands pulling him towards the back of the pool. knees met ledge and Hannibal drew both he and Will down to sit on the built in ledge. Chest deep in petals and free to breath. The two men sat back and soaked up the cacophony of smells engulfing them. Hannibals hand migrated from Wills shoulder to his hand and when Hannibal went to move away Will held his hand tight.

"this is easily one of the most unique and...lovely experiences I've...ever had the good fortune to participate in. Thank you Hannibal."

"I'm so glad you like it. You're very welcome Will." Will didn't need his eyes to see the blush coloring Hannibals cheeks. There palms still pressed together Will leaned in and pressed a sweet and tender kiss to Hannibals lips. Hannibal returned the kiss with gentility and a hint of shyness. Will pulled away and released Hannibals hand. Feeling for the steps he climbed out of the flowery pool, sitting on the edge feet still submerged he dusted himself off. Knowing full well he would have petals stuck to him. He felt Hannibal climb out beside him likewise brushing off hitchhiking flowers. Will was pretty certain there was a bouquet of them stuck in his hair but at present he didn't care.

"Take my hand. come with me." Hannibal said breaking the silence. taking will out of the home theater out into the main hall and to a space that smelled of Mahogany and petrecore. they were back in his bedroom. Hannibal moved into them into the room until Wills legs met something tall and padded.  
"sit down please." Will sat on the plush surface "open your eyes." Will obliged. Hannibal sat in front of him: no vest or shoes. tie absent, placate front shirt unclasped, sleeves rolled up to the elbow. the ever present wrist watch was missing and in place of slacks. black harem pants. "since you did not read the paper work i am required to inform you that your belongings are at your feet" Will moved his legs bare feet bumping into a bag at his heels. "also that you were and are free to leave."  
"or."  
"you could stay...here...with me." Hannibals voice was soft, almost shy.  
"and do what?"  
"as ive said before, whatever youll allow me." Hannibal replied eyes uncharacteristically down cast. for the second time tongiht Will reached out to Hannibal. hand comming to rest gingerly atop Hannibals. Dr. Lecter returned his gaze to Wills.  
"show me your design." Will said. Hannibals stomach clenched his jaw locked and the horizons of his eyes glistened with a spiders filament of unexpected tears. clearly he had anticipated rejection.


	6. Strange New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sight  
> And the long awaited smut  
> If any chapter is going to be added to...it'll probably be this one  
> cuz reasons.

Leaning into kiss Will with as much composure as the day he gutted him Hannibal pressed his near trembling lips to Will. Graham wanted to engage but feared startling his almost timid partner. Hannibal peppered kisses over his neck and across his cheeks. Will tired to let Hannibal lead but now feared that if he didn't reciprocate enough Hannibal might find him disinterested and there was nothing Will wanted less. In a flurry of fancy he moved from his spot on the bed and straddle Hannibals lap clasping his hands around his angular face. Wills kisses were laced with a barely tempered hunger and it made Dr. Lecter all the more ravenous. Returning the affections Hannibal wasn't so much kissing him as tasting him. His tongue grazing over every scrap of skin he could reach. Yet some how he managed to not choke Will with his tongue, many thanks for that. Pulling away from the kiss Hannibal brushed some unruly curls off of his face.  
"Climb on." Hannibal suggested nodding towards the bed. Will climbed off of Hannibals lap and spread out on the bed. Reaching under the bed Hannibal pulled out a flat storage container and from it a spool of crochet rope. Wills eyebrow pulled up in a silent question.

"Are you fond of pearls will?"

"Pearls...like the jewelry."

"Yes." Hannibal replied with a smile

"I suppose i like them better than diamonds." 

"Good. Sit up for me. I'm going to wrap this around you and I need you to tell me if you feel any tingling, loss of sensation or swelling. Also inform me if anything hurts because this really shouldn't." 

"Very well. Need anything from me?"

"A bit of patience and...trust."

"Okay." Will nodded letting his head and arms relax into his lap as Hannibal wrapped the rope around Wills chest pulling the length taunt at the back. Doubling the ropes back around he brought them to the front of his torso wrapping them in a line across his chest. After 3 revolutions Hannibal took the rope under Wills pectoral line wrapping it around him 3 times. Taking the end of the rope Hannibal looped it under the center of both rows directly over wills sternum. Adjusting the ropes to remove any slack Hannibal took the remaining length and pulled it around to the back looping it into a flat knot against Wills spine. The rope pressed Wills pectoral muscles together squeezing them between the bindings.

"Dose this have a name?"

"It's called the Japanese pearl harness. Very popular with greenhorns and practiced hands alike." Hannibal answered pinching Wills entwined muscle between his thumb and for finger. "It usually includes a restraining the persons arms but..."

"We did that last time."

"Exactly." Reaching into a pocket Will didn't know he had Hannibal pulled out small, flat, rubberized clamps. Will didn't need to ask. He knew exactly where Hannibal intended to put the matched set. Will took in a breath as Hannibal pinched the clamps into place. Reaching into his other pocket he pulled out a twist style cooking timer he set it for 5 minutes and slipped it back in his pocket. "Lie back." Will scooted back resting his head on one of Hannibals lush pillows. Reaching into another flat storage container Hannibal retrieved a box and from it a pitch black candle. Taking a lighter from his bedside table he lit the candle and held the flame aloft watching closely for the first signs of melting wax. Hannibal tested the wax on the top of his hand. With a slight nod he took Wills hand in his and let a single drop of wax fall to his skin. Will took in a sharp breath, more out of reflex than pain. The wax was hot but not searing like he expected.

"Limbs at the 4 corners of the bed please." Will obliged waiting with baited breath to see where Hannibal would move next. He started at Wills belly button dotting a line up his torso by-passing the harness continuing across his chest. Like a mortician dotting out the line for an autopsy. Hannibal trailed it down one arm and leg up the other and back again. the timer dinged and set the candle in holder; Will hand't noticed, on the bedside table

"Inhale." Hannibal said. Will obeyed. With his lungs full of air Hannibal removed both clamps in unison. Blood came rushing back and with it sensation. Wills mouth unhinged in a silent protestation

"I thought it would hurt more going on."

"You're not alone. It surprises a lot of people...I'm assuming temperature wise you tend to run hot?"

"I don't have much basis for comparison."

"Do you sweat more than you shiver?"

"Yes."

"Than you run hot."

"hmmm.

"In which case this...should be fun."

"What? Will asked. swiveling his head. His limbs still spread to the corners of the bed he watched Hannibal retrieve an cube from the ice bucket near his bathroom door. Hannibal walked back to Will; the ice melting in his hand. Smiling down at his prostrate wax splattered partner he let a single drop land at the crest of Wills sternum the man gasped at the change in temperature. Try as he might he made a gasp, a groan, and a grumble at every trickle, every drop. There was not a splash that didn't draw a sound or movement from his body. Several cubes and a numb hand later Hannibal dried his hands and sat down next to Will.

"How was that?" Hannibal asked. A giggle snuck past Wills lips

"Chilling."

"ha. ha. ha." Hannibal said with a egregious monotone "Very funny, but if your going to have to do better than that."

"oooooh tough crowd."

"Now, Will I have a rather important question."

"Go on."

"Are you ticklish?" Hannibal queried, a devilish grin forming at the corners of his mouth.

"Umm most people are a little ticklish its just a matter of where."

"I didn't ask about most people I asked about you."

"I don't really know. I'm not in the habit of tickling myself and other people don't really try."

"Lets find out together then shall wee." Hannibal said slipping Wills socks from his feet. Wills breathing quickened no one had tried to tickle him since he was a small child and he had no idea how he would react. Would he be able to play it cool...would he laugh, would he scream, would he wet the sheets and make an utter fool of him self ?! He had no idea and that was easily the most intriguing part. He didn't know...he didn't know what it would feel like, he didn't know where Hannibal would go next and he had no clue if he could handle it...Will took a deep breath and on the exhale he laid his head back and waded into the quiet of not knowing. He did not know and he did not care because some part of him felt intrinsically safe with Hannibal. He knew what Hannibal could do to him and that made the surrender all the sweeter. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Hannibal could kill him and they would never find his body...or at least not all of it. Some part of his brain knew he could die tonight. The mental illness hoped for it. Yet the wiser part. The older part. The piece of his consciousness that tethered him to his soul knew, JUST BLOODY KNEW he was safe. If for no other reason than Hannibal was having as much; if not more, fun than he was and children aren't known for breaking their favorite toys mid play. Hannibal delicately ran the backs of his nails up and down Wills feet. 

It was like being gently electrocuted. 

The first wave of sensation hit him in the gut, punched through his belly button, grabbed hold of his spine and, kicked him into the bed. The second swell  serpentine'd up his leg and coiled around his pelvis. His breath came up short in his lungs. Hannibals fingers danced up Wills leg and around his patella. Will drew in a hard breath through his nose. Attempting not to kick, squirm or squeal. With a wicked smile Hannibal  gently trailed his nail up the sensitive flesh of Wills inner thigh. Will gasped for air like a man diving without oxygen. His hands clutching at the corners of the bed. Eyes screwing shut in concentration.

"Don't fight so hard. Breath into it. Breath through it." Hannibal said repeating the motion. Will took a few short, shallow breaths before screwing his courage to the sticking place. The squint went from his eyes, the tension  bled form his body like color from a new shirt. "That's better." Hannibal cooed. Rolling his weight on to the bed Hannibal straddled Wills hips. His strong thighs holding him off of Will. With a look just this side of playful Hannibal teased the often forgotten skin wrapped around Wills hip bone. He followed that muscle over Wills hip up to his waist till the line ran under the harness.

"that wasn't so bad was it?" Hannibal asked Will huffed a laugh

"I'm not dead yet." He replied. Dismounting to the opposing side of the bed Hannibal  retrieved a plastic  folding step stool from under the bed and yet ANOTHER flat storage box

"God Lord Hannibal what else do you have stashed under this bed?!"

"wouldn't you like to know."

Hannibal set the box on the stool and removed the lid. Browsing the contentse; which Will could not see from the bed, Hannibal pulled up a rectangular paddle. weather he wanted it to or not a smile warmed wills face.

"Have I been bad Dr. Lecter?" Will asked. His voice soft and low

"Oh you've been very naughty Will" Hannibal pressed the edge of the paddle under Wills chin locking their gazes "and you know it." The blush that consumed Wills face was electric and twisted some warm; non cannibalistic, place in Hannibals gut.

"Roll onto your stomach." Will did as he was told "What dose this feel like" Hannibal asked bringing the paddle down once on each cheek.

"its deep, aching. it...soaks in to the muscle. Like water into soil." Hannibal gave a nod, switching the paddle for a leather flogger.

"what about this?" once again hitting each cheek.

"It's shallow" Will answered pulling a hissing breath through his teeth. "but it burns.  its on the surface and it spreads like fire."

"Do you have a preference this evening?"

"thudding rather than singing."

"changing it up are we?" Hannibal asked. Will shrugged. Hannibal spanked Wills cheeks till they bore a blush more rosy than the one on his face. Will heard Hannibal set down the paddle but could not tell what he picked up. 

"Ahh! what was that!" Will exclaimed jolting from his recumbent position

"Lay back down!...what did it feel like?"

"A tiny electric shock."

"That's because it was a tiny electric shock

"Iii...is that safe?"

"It's an extremely low voltage designed specifically for the purpose of sensory play. It wouldn't be recommended for someone with a heart condition but since your heart has only been damaged metaphorically i think you'll  be alright. but please do let me know if you feel anything unpleasant.

 

Hannibal treated his violet wand like an acupuncture needle. Pinpointing the nerve endings with surgical accuracy. The sensations was...shocking to say the least but quickly lost its scare factor. Once Will decided he wasn't going to be electrocuted he relaxed in to the unique feeling. Sinking into the section of his brain that was made of nothing but tactile recall. After Hannibal had shocked every nerve point he could reach he stored the violet wand and sat down next to Will.

"now...for our next...game...look at me Will...I'm NOT going to eat you alive and thus I would greatly appreciate it if you did not hit me."

"excuse me?" Will replied perplexed.Hannibal pressed his fangs into the meat of Wills shoulder Wills mouth dropped open air squeeze from his  lungs. His hands bolted up to push Hannibal away but; as previous confrontations had proven, Hannibal was sturdy man and not an object that could be easily moved.

"what did that feel like ?"

"like you fucking bit me." Hannibals jaw locked and his brow drew into a silent scold. 

"pardon my language it felt like...you were trying to separate my muscle fibers...like if you tried they would tear apart, like my flesh would be ripped open if pressure was applied. "

"mmmhhmm and what about this" hannibal queried sliding down to rest between Wills thighs. Hannibal sunk his canines into the sensitive meat of wills inner thigh. Will yelped

"OWW. that actually hurt like...damn."

"not much besides veins and nerve endings here...which is why it feels so delicious to do something like this" Hannibal added pressing heavy, loving kisses around his ever reddening bite marks. Laying a kiss to the space between Wills belly button and his pubic bone Hannibal rose form the bed calling Will to him with a crooking finger. Will climbed off the bed and walked over to Hannibal. Standing between Will and the bed the Dr. moved Graham directly in front of him. Hannibal leaned in to Will his exhaled breath skirting across Wills neck

"if this next exercise become too much. tap out"

"oooookay." Will said turning his head towards Hannibals voice. Without further warning or explanation Hannibal clamped his hands around Wills throat.  Wills hands flew up to meet Dr. Lecters. Every finder in his body telling  he will die if he dose not fight back.

"Easy my dear boy. I know your survival instinct is telling you to panic, to fight, to run...but what is the rest of your body telling you. I know what your mind sounds like but what dose your body feel like?...what are your never endings telling you?..." Wills hands went from clawing to caressing. digits dancing over the hands that coked him "Feel the air...skirting past my hands...feel your breath gathering shallowly in your lungs. Your body flush against mine...feel your pulse building between your ears. Feel my hands around your throat. Every digit squeezing around something vital. " Hannibal eased his grip letting the blood and air come back in sips not gulps. Turning Will around to face him they joined. Hannibal caught the lusty glaze of submission in his eyes and wasn't about to let it slip. Sliding from his pants, Hannibal tossed them aside objects in his pockets clinking as they met the floor.

"Get on your knees Will." Will dropped to the floor like a man moved by hydraulics. Will looked up at Dr. Lecter with all the patience in the world. Hannibal had Will where he wanted him but could bring him self to say the words. Luckily for Hannibals introversion he didn't not have to. After a few loaded glances Will freed Hannibal through the fold in his boxers and set to work on a task that was quickly becoming familiar. With is lips wrapped around Hannibal the room fell silent once more. Hannibals only encouragement coming in the form of gently wandering hands tracing their way around Wills face and scalp. With Hannibal risen to his full height he took Will by the back of the head and slid himself in as deep as Wills throat would allow. Will had not quite learned to breath through his nose. Hannibal knew this. Will counted 1,2,3,4,5 before being pulled off of Hannibal. Again Hannibal filled Wills mouth and held him there for 5 seconds. Again and again until he felt Will breath, the fresh air rushing through his nose, down his throat, over Hannibal and, into his lungs.

"good boy. " Hannibal praised pulling Will up for air. Will eager to please slid Hannibals back between his lips 1,2,3,4,5. Will moved to surface but Hannibal held him hard in place 6,7,8,9,10.  Air. Again 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. 

"breath." Wills lips grew swollen and his face flush. His hair was messy from Dr. Lecters hands and Hannibal would hold this image of Will in his mind for years to come. Again. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 Graham willed his throat to relax and summoned the air to his lungs. Taking a long slow breath through his nose Will looked up at Hannibal. Sapphire eyes smokey with lust. Hannibal pulled his head up "very good." Hannibal lauded. Taking his a hand from Wills head his remaining hand gently scratched at the younger mans scalp as Will lathered affections between Hannibals legs. Dr. Lecter waited until Will found a rhythm. Then with Wills lips against his pubic bone Hannibal clamped his hand around Wills throat.the boys eyes went wind and he attempted to push away but the hand in his head held him in place. "Relax. breath through your nose." Will attempted to protest but the words cam out as nothing but vibrations. Hannibal squeezed his throat choking the sound out of him. "Don't talk. Breath." Will was stiff for a moment before Hannibal felt him take a breath. Impediments not with standing.  Releasing his hold on Wills neck he pulled the gasping boy to eye level. Drawing him into kiss. "You were so good for me Will." He praised pressing a kiss to Wills temple. He raised the man to his feet and did something unexpected. He hugged him. Not a stiff hug of expectation or a coiling hug of insinuation; but, an embrace that said I love you and wish to be close to you. "Such a good boy. " Hannibal whispered stroking the back of Wills head. Graham let himself melt into the affection his cheek coming to perch on Hannibals collar bone. Arms pressed around Hannibals waist Hannibal patted the space next to him. Will climbed back up on the bed. Hannibal gave a curt nod towards the head of the bed. Will took his meaning and laid out where he had previously. Hannibal  removed his his last remaining stitch of clothing and stretched out next to Will slipping his hand under Grahams boxers he took Wills half present erection in his hand, palm still smooth from the massage oil. Wills body responded they way it always did with physical contact -tension- would Hannibal be the type to kill where he sleeps. corny images of knives concealed under pillows carded past his mind, he almost laughed. a particularly languid pull brought Will back to his body, back to the present moment where Hannibal lay next to him gently drawing pleasure from a place no one; save himself, had been in years. With Wills mind present and body responsive Hannibal moved down the bed ending in between Wills legs. Hannibal took a breath his tongue dragging across pointed canines. he laid out on his stomach propping himself on his forearms. with one preliminary drag of his tongue Hannibal slid Will; in his entirety, into his mouth. smiling proudly when Will cried out. upper body lifting off the bed only to flop back down again. as Hannibal set to work lavishing every inch of Wills most sensitive skin. there wasn't a piece of him that he didn't put in his mouth, social morays didn't seem to stop and body hair didn't seem to bother him Hannibal acted without pretense, kissing, licking and biting anything he could get his lips around.there was no section of skin too private or personal. flesh was flesh and he planed to devour Will one way or another. pulling off of Will like a cork from a bottle Hannibal lifted his head; his already large lips, flush with blood and sheened with spit.  
"on your knees please." Will sat up and turned around holding his weight up on his legs. Hannibal plopped a lush pillow down in front of Will. with a hand set to the space between his shoulder blades Lecter bent him over, the pillow propping his hips up. crouching down between Wills legs. he sunk his fingers into the meat of Will cheeks spreading them wide as he kneaded the muscle. Hannibals tongue dragged one long swath over Wills freshly washed entrance and all but laughed when the man in his hands cried out startled by the affection as well as its location. Hannibal paid the start no mind. clasping his fore arms over Wills hips he pinned the smaller man to the mattress as his tongue set to work on a guilty pleasure. the longer Hannibals tongue dove and danced in and around Wills body the more he relaxed into the sensation his shyness fading into the flicking tip of Hannibals tongue. Hannibal went about this with his usual unfettered abandon. as relaxed in himself with his face buried between Will thigh as he was reciting poetry or committing murder. the term unflappable rarely suited a soul so well. prying himself from Will he wrapped an arm around the torso of the open mouthed, flushed face man setting him upright. tossing the pillow aside and turning Will onto his back Hannibals mouth returned with earnest to its previous work. tongue darting like a hummingbird around Wills ever fevered flesh eyes locked like a rifle scope on the face of his writhing lover. try as he might Will could not help the sounds escaping from his body and thankfully Hannibal didn't want him to. with Hannibals appetite and Wills orifice both suitably whetted Hannibal moved up to lay next to Will. reaching into his bed side table he pulled out a set of surgical gloves. dotting a few ditgets with lube he traced around Wills entrance. drawing the quietly nervous boy into a distracting kiss. as the embraced deepened Will reached out to Hannibal. fingers entwining with the hair at his chest. Hannibal worked Will open with a languid ease the pads of his fingers gently rubbing circles on his inner walls. Will rolled into the arms of the man petting his nervous system eyes lolling closed mouth pulled open by drawn out exclamation. Hannibal waited till a sprig of pre seeped from his partner. pulling himself from Will he removed the glove and slid on a condom. he didn't leave his DNA anywhere else why would he start now. leaning down to snag a kiss Hannibal broke the gasp filled silence  
"i leave it to you to close the distance." Will chanced a look into Hannibals sharp eyes, and found their usual razors edge absent. rewarding his softness with a smile Will took Hannibal in his hand and guided their bodies together. there mouths fell open in cinematic tandem. Hannibal held his ground. Will took the lead moving slowly at first but quickly gaining pace as he found nothing but pleasure in the incomparable sensation. with his body open and wanting he clasped onto Hannibals hips encouraging the patient man to move. they rocked together for several glorious moments before something at the base of Wills spine began to beg for more hooking his right leg around the meat of Hannibals hip he threw all his weight to his left rolling Hannibal onto his back. the coil of his smiling reply was nothing short of devilish. Will gave a tentative roll of his hips. his mouth dropping open in response. He ground his hips into the man below him. hands coming to rest first on the headboard then on Hannibals shoulders before ending on his own waist. as his brain flooded with bio chemicals he let his eyes roll shut telling his ears not to mind the sounds clawing their way up his sternum. mid roll he stopped  
"humor me?" Hannibal gave an acquiescing wave "spread your legs and raise your knees." Hannibal followed the instructions and waited as Will positioned himself in between his legs with his back to Dr. Lecter. coming to rest on his shins and fore arms. he slid his legs under Hannibals knees his feet ending astride Hannibals hips.  
"a past partner showed this to me...they were always fond of it. " Hannibal gripped Wills hips locking their legs together as he returned himself to Will with a begraveled moan. the position was unique but egregiously comfortable. both had the leverage to push or pull as needed and both bodies were fully supported by the bed making for a graceful, averacious exchange as each person relaxed into the dance. Dr. Lecter tested the waters. digging his nails into the meat of Wills hips as they moved. it wasn't long before the beasts at the back of their brains built up a tolerance.  
"more."  
"excuse me?"  
"more...harder."  
"i beg your pardon?" Will huffed and cleared his throat.  
"more. harder. please." Hannibals reply came in a deep chested purr and a change of position. rolling his weight onto his knees he ended; upright, with his legs on either side of Wills. like they had been at the office. Hannibal pulled Will up by his hips raising him to his hands and knees. he resumed his movements hands dancing over Wills freshly washed skin Will bit his lip as Hannibal bore into him.  
"harder...please."  
"i may hurt you."  
"that's never stopped us before." Hannibal raked his claws down Wills back clamping his fist around Wills throat he drove into him with a carnivorous hunger. Hannibal draped his torso over Wills. lips drawing close to his ear.  
"is this how you would do it Will...with your hands?" Hannibal questioned, fingers squeezing the pulse points on his neck. Will thought about this moment. and the reversal where he was inside Hannibal. Will thought about how easy it would be for Hannibal to kill him right now and he thought about killing Hannibal with his bare hands . fingers laced with rage, confusion, and gut wrenching betrayal. he thought of what it would feel like to hold a predators life in his palm. he thought of the exchange of power and the sensation of control. taking from Hannibals life what he could not take form his own. he though about death and blood and sex and Hannibal. Hannibals eyes, his hands. his body, his blood...his death. he thought of the lines between them blurring as their bodies blended together. he thought of Hannibal and could not stop the scream that tore through his throat. no cellist serenade. just Will collapsing into the bloody hands of his immaculate partner. Wills wrists gave out and rather than land on top of him Dr. Lecter rolled them onto their sides. languidly serpentining into Wills pulsing insides. climaxing in near silence; the crest of his pleasure spoken in the heaving breaths and rigid limbs. the two men lay together bodies all but vibrating from the depth of their exchange.  
"how do you feel?"  
"like I'm in my body."  
"then I would call they session a success. Same time next week?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read the whole thing...I thank you for your time and I hope something good happens to you to today :)


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